Useless Resume Objectives

What's wrong with an objective on a resume? The problem with objectives on resumes is that a typical objective is self-centered and self-serving; therefore, it is useless. Instead of an objective, use a power statement.

Let me illustrate what I mean by giving examples of both objectives and power statements. Here is a typical objective, one that HR personnel see on top of resumes all the time:

"Customer Service Representative position allowing me to fully utilize my skills and attributes and providing professional advancement opportunities."

What did this objective tell me? The above objective communicated to me basically nothing but for the sake of this case study here are a few points:

The person is looking for a Customer Service position. (No problem with that.)

The individual's priority seems to be his/her professional advancement within the organization. (Oops, that's not the way to treat a potential employer. That's not what the company wants to hear. They want to hear how you will BENEFIT THEM, not yourself.)

The candidate didn't specify skills and attributes thus didn't give any glimpse into what he/she can do for the company. (Not good because employers want specifics.)

Self-oriented instead of employer oriented. (Not good at all.)

Let's translate the same objective into a power statement.

"Award-winning highly accomplished and motivated Customer Service professional with proven track record of rapport-building, resourceful problem-solving and communication skills."

What did this tell me? The power statement communicated to me that:

The person is a competent, distinguished (award-winning) Customer Service professional who has excellent working knowledge of his/her trade. (Good.)

Has a proven track record of relevant attributes. (Good.)

The reader can get a glimpse into how the person could benefit the company as a result of mentioning specific skills and abilities that are necessary to do that particular job well. (Very good.)

The power statement is employer-oriented, not focused on self.

Remember, when employers look at your resume, they read it with one thought and one thought only in mind: What Can This Person Do for Us? If you include a self-oriented objective, instead of an employer-oriented power statement at the top of your resume, you will turn off the potential employer before they even get a chance to read your entire resume.

The main difference between the objective and the power statement is that while the objective is self-serving and self-focused, the power statement is employee-oriented and results-focused. Employers only care about results - the results you will produce for them on the job whether it will be saving money, solving a problem or increasing profitability. If you can hint within your power statement in a short and compelling way how you will benefit the company, you are on your way to your interview. Go get them!

You may publish this article free of charge in your ezine, web site, ebook or print publication so long as the copyright notice and the resource paragraph (at the end of the article) are included.

About The Author

Looking for a new career but don't know how to present your skills for the new job? Then you need a career change resume by an award-winning Certified Professional Resume Writer. Rita's service, Career Change Resumes, was profiled in a book that was featured on the Oprah show. Rita's resumes guarantee you interviews or 100% of your money back. Click here: http://www.CareerChangeResumes.com; resumes@reliable-net.net

More resources:

RELATED ARTICLES

7 Steps to Effective Communication
The success of any business or organization depends largely on how effectively the members communicate. The ability to speak well is a minimum requirement of some businesses when hiring.

So You want to be a Bodyguard?
Then let me start by helping out. The politically correct phrase these days is not "bodyguard" but personal protection specialist, executive protection specialist or close protection operative, depending on your place of training and other preferences.

Avoid Potential Job Interview Disasters
There are definitely things that you can do to avoid minor mishaps which could ultimately blow an interview. Become familiar with these 7 potential interview disasters so you can prevent them from obstructing your path to that ideal job.

Which Half Are You?
When more than half of Americans were identified as overweight, people took notice. Major news outlets began educating on how to stay out, or get out, of that statistic.

Why Are 95% of Job Applicants Not Called Back?
Have you been desperately looking for a job and keep coming up short? Despite all that you do, does every attempt you make seem to fail? Are you at that point of quitting? Ever wonder why you have not been called back? Not long ago, I was right where you are. I was all over the place, running here and there looking for the magic pill to help me.

A Concept That Could Double Youre Income in Mystery Shopping
Do you want to double, or increase significantly you're income in mystery shopping? If yes, I'll be sharing to you an age old concept. Now you might have learned this already or you may consider this common sense.

Resume Layouts ... The Hidden Pitfalls
Options for Resume LayoutsThere are many options of available to today's job seeker. With a quick change of graphical elements such as fonts and style, the feel of a resume can change from traditional and conservative to creative and modern.

A Career In Medical Assisting
My name is Danni R, and I am a certified medical assistant and online educator. I am writing this article to introduce you to an exciting career in the allied health profession that has existed for quite a long time but is just recently gaining the attention and recognition it deserves.

Writing Great Cover Letters
Cover letters are an essential ingredient to your complete r�sum� package. This is the best opportunity for you to demonstrate your personal character, knowledge of the company and your business writing skills.

Offer Letter Limbo
Recently we concluded the placement of a Senior Sales Representative for a publicly traded company. The role was ripe with potential as the company products were being widely embraced by current and new customers.

Make Your Resume Keyword Rich and Scanner Friendly
If you haven't looked for a job recently, there are new tactics that hiring professionals are using that you should be aware of before updating your resume.Employers and recruiters increasingly rely on electronic resumes, resume posting boards and job banks to find job candidates.

Traveling for An Interview? 10 Tips to Get You From Here to There
You've just been granted an on-site interview in another town. Hurray!This means you'll be traveling to an employer's location so that they can further evaluate you for a specific job position.

Avoiding Tire Kickers as Job Seekers
With the economy heating up and employment prospects opening up after years of dormancy, it is more critical than ever for employers to understand that unfortunately, career "tire kickers" still exist in the marketplace. Demand for quality talent, especially at the senior executive level, still outweighs supply.

How to Write a Simple Job Description
1.0 A timely reminderIn a recent decision in a New South Wales court it was found that an employee was psychologically injured and that contributing factors such as not having a job description and controlling management behaviours were responsible.

How to Work Effectively With Recruiters
"R-E-S-P-E-C-T / find out what it means to me" is a line made famous by Aretha Franklin, and one that recruiters have adopted as their mantra. This is probably because there is a love-hate relationship between candidates and recruiters.

9 Tips on Creating a Professional Emailed Job Application
With the advent of the Internet, many of us have the opportunity to apply for work through email.However, just because this is the Internet and email is so fast and convenient, that does NOT mean you should give up professionalism and polish!FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT.

Fascinating Ways to Make a Living Doing What You Love May Be Closer Than You Think...
You don't have to look very far to find fascinating ways to make a living. Opportunities are literally everywhere? if you're looking, that is.

Are You Winning the Talent Wars?
How many times have you heard or read, "Our employees are our greatest asset"?What are the chances of any company surviving if it cannot find the right employees - or find enough of them? In 2003 Roger Herman, Tom Olivio, and Joyce Gioia wrote in Impending Crisis that by the year 2010 the U.S.

Adapting To Change In A Changing World
Have you learnt a new skill or improved upon your existing skill in the last six months to one year?According to the world acclaimed management guru and Writer Professor Peter Drucker - "The only skill that will be important in the 21st century is the skill of learning news skills. Everything else will become obsolete over time.

Get a Job! Tips for Organizing Your Resume
Whether you're a Vice President of Marketing or a recent college grad, your resume is the 'key' to opening the doors of employment. It is an employer's first impression of you and believe it or not, many hiring officials spend less than thirty seconds reviewing it.